We hope this answers many of the questions you have about your child starting at Wherwell School.

What time does the school day start?

The morning session begins promptly at 8.40am. Children should not arrive before 8.30am as there is no official supervision in the playground until this time.

… and end?

School ends at 3.10pm.  The children will leave school on time. Please be there to collect them!

When will my child need to bring in their PE kit?

PE kit should always be available in school so they should bring in a PE kit on Mondays and take it home for washing on Fridays.

We do sell PE bags in the school office (£4.50).

Waterbottles Children should bring a clearly named leak-proof water bottle to school. We know you and your child know which is your water bottles, but our staff can't remember 126! It is difficult to re-unite water bottles left on the playground/playing field with their owners if there is no name.

A bookbag will be given to each child starting school. Thereafter, replacements from the school office will cost £5.

Can my child bring a toy into school?

The rule is that any toy brought into school must be ‘smaller than an adult’s hand’ so that it can fit comfortably into the class storage box.    Also, all toys are brought in ‘at their own risk’, so please don’t let your child bring anything really, really special or fragile into school with them – these should wait at home for your child’s return!

Can my child bring a mid-morning snack into school?

Fruit is provided, free of charge, to all infant children under the ‘Fruit for Schools’ scheme. If your child wants to bring in a snack from home, it must be fruit (or vegetable) only. 

What about school dinners?

Our school dinners are delicious! You can book your child's meal via School Money (we kindly ask that you pay in advance, but don't worry, if your child doesn't have a booked meal, your account will be credited).   The meals are served in the school hall and are served ‘plated’ so that even the pickiest child has a balanced meal including vegetables.  

From September 2014, all infant children will receive a free school meal.

Children can, of course, also bring in a packed lunch from home if they would prefer.  

What if my child is sick?

If your child is unable to come to school please telephone the school office to let us know on the first morning of their illness (01264) 860384, or email reporting@wherwell.hants.sch.uk, copying in the class teacher. For more details on authorised absences, please check our attendance section under key information.

At 9:15 each day the Admin Officer will begin telephoning the parents of any absent children that the school has not heard from.

Can I take my child out of school for a holiday during term time?

We are unable to authorise holidays in term time and any such absence would go down on your child’s record as unauthorised. For more details please visit the attendance section on this website.

Where should I park when delivering my child to school and collecting them at the end of the day?

You should park in the Playing Fields car park adjacent to the school and walk your child to school through the gates that connect the field directly to the school playground.   For the safety and security of the children, this gate is locked at 8.50am and thereafter you will need to enter school through the front door. If there are no spaces in the car park and you are forced to park on the road, please leave sufficient sight lines for cars to emerge from the car park safely.

If you are walking to school, please use the path at the front of the school, turn left when you reach the main building and enter the playground through the tall double gates.

No parking is permitted in the bus bay at the front of the school as this is designated for the school bus. 

We have a disabled parking space at the front of the school. Please leave it free for those that need it.

Please do not turn in the staff car park.

There is also a school bus serving Chilbolton. We encourage all parents who are eligible to use the bus to do so.   This not only reduces congestion in the car park and benefits the environment, but also ensures the continued provision of this service.

Can I help in my child’s class?

When your child is happily settled into school you might want to help in class (hearing readers etc.). All helpers in school must be DBS checked. Details of how to apply for a DBS check are available from the school office. Prior to starting to help in class, please contact the office to learn about the School's Health and Safety and Safeguarding Procedures for visitors, volunteers and temporary staff.

How do you let me know what’s happening at the school and in my child’s class?

There is a school newsletter every fortnight which is sent out electronically (paper copies available on request). The newsletter is also uploaded to the website and displayed on the noticeboard in reception.   Sometimes there are letters on other days too – so it is useful to check your child’s book bag every day.   In addition, where possible, letters to parents will also be sent by email. We also subscribe to a text messaging service for urgent messages and reminders.

Curriculum Maps for each half-term provide information on your child's learning for the current half-term. You can find these on the website under Children > Class Pages and they will also be emailed to you.

What if I need out-of-school hours care for my child?

We run two on-site out-of-school hours services. Early Birds (Monday to Friday) is our morning breakfast club and Woodpeckers (Monday to Thursday) is our after-school child care club. For more information on Early Birds and Woodpeckers, please speak to the office, or visit Parents > Woodpeckers/Early Birds on the website

What happens at the end of the day?

If your child is being collected by someone other than yourself, please let the class teacher and/or the office know. Children will only be released into the playground when the teacher has spotted the adult that is collecting them. If your child is being collected by someone other than you, it is likely that the class teacher releasing them will not recognise them. We therefore have a password system in place. Each child has their own unique password (chosen by the parents) which should be provided to the class teacher on request. Children will not be released to anyone other than a parent unless there is in-person, telephone or written permission for us to do so and the correct password is provided.

If your child is signed up for any after-school club and, for some reason, is not attending on a particular evening, please inform either the club leader, the class teacher or the office, so that we know that they are safe.